


Something Different

by bitogoth



Series: Something Different, Something New [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Mild Language, Non-Canon Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-21 19:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2480069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitogoth/pseuds/bitogoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wherein Our Protagonists Meet For The First Time And Impressions Are Made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Breakfast Guest

**Author's Note:**

> I am doing a little bit of cleanup here, since someone very kindly pointed out one or two continuity errors. Thanks for your patience!

Bruce was usually the first one in the common kitchen most mornings and would start a pot of coffee so it would be ready when Steve came in from his run. Today he was poring over a journal article, and had just registered the sounds of someone rummaging through the cabinets as he stepped into the kitchen.

He froze. A blonde woman he'd never seen before was standing on a chair, ransacking the cabinet over the massive refrigerator. She stepped down slowly with a look like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Uh, hi?" She gave a small wave, and Bruce realized her left arm was in a navy sling he recognized as being SHIELD standard.

"Uh, hi. Uhm, JARVIS?"

"My apologies, Dr. Banner. Please let me introduce Agent Harrow, newly of SHIELD."

"Alexa, but, please call me Alex," she said, offering her hand to shake. Bruce fumbled his glasses and the journal before he managed to take her hand.

"Bruce. Bruce is fine."

If anything, Alex looked even more embarrassed. It suddenly dawned on him that she was barefoot and only wearing a white tank top and a pair of purple-and-black flannel pajama pants that Clint had accused Natasha of stealing a few weeks back. The blonde braids wrapped around her head like a crown made her look too young to be an agent. He quickly turned to the coffee pot and asked over his shoulder, "Can I help with anything?"

"Uh, yeah, actually. Do you know if there's a first aid kit around here?"

Bruce immediately put the coffee filter down and turned back.

"Are you hurt? Of course you're hurt, you have a sling. What happened?" He moved to a cabinet on the other side of the kitchen and fished out the first aid case stashed there.

"Gunshot wound, grazing, just under the shoulder webbing of my armor. They stitched me up but I'm pretty sure I pulled one last night. I need a clean dressing but couldn't find Nat's kit and didn't want to wake her up, so..."

Bruce sighed and automatically fell into lecture-mode as he examined the stitches.

"You know, Clint is bad enough. He'll do almost anything to avoid medical care. At least you have enough sense to let them patch you back together." He gave her a stern look over the top of his glasses.

Alex grinned at the tone. "Yeah, apparently Clint is pretty legendary. I have no intention of following his example. This was my first time being shot and I'm in no rush to repeat the experience."

Bruce nodded approval. "You did pull a stitch but I'll butterfly it- this is pretty shallow." It only took a moment and he applied a clean bandage. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"No thanks, but if you have tea that would be welcome."

Bruce smiled as he packed away the first aid kit. "Left-hand cabinet over the microwave. Natasha and I are the tea-drinkers here, help yourself."

Alex opened the cabinet and gave a low whistle. "It's like tea-heaven in here! Hey, you have Fortnum & Mason! Would you mind?"

"Not at all- Jane brought it back from London. It's for everyone." He smiled and put on a kettle. "Are you hungry at all? I was going to make an omelet."

"Oh no, you've already been so kind, I can just..."

Bruce gave a pointed look at her sling. "Sit." Alex blinked. She sat.

"So," Bruce turned back to fridge and started taking out omelet fixings, "how did you end up in the Tower?"

"Oh, well, apparently there's kind of a tradition among SHIELD operatives..." she trailed off.

"Yes?" Bruce prompted.

"Well, I don't know if it's a secret or anything, but since you live with a bunch of agents it should be ok, I guess? Well, the first time a SHIELD agent is shot on duty, afterward a few agents get together, swap first-time stories and do shots. I'm supposed to take 24 hours before I'm back on duty, so Nat, Clint, and Agent Coulson brought me here and I crashed in Nat's guest room."

Bruce's eyebrows shot up. "You were drinking with Natasha and you're up this early?"

"I only had four, one for each story. They were still going after I crashed," she laughed.

Bruce smiled, then turned and placed a plate in front of her. "Don't let it get cold."

"Thank you, this smells amazing!"

Bruce sat across from her and they both began to eat. After a few minutes of silence, Alex asked, "You mentioned a Jane before, is that Dr. Jane Foster?"

"Yes it is, do you know her?"

"Only her work, but she'll be attending a conference in Geneva next week and I'll be her security detail."

"Are you interested in astrophysics?" Bruce couldn't quite keep the surprise out of his voice.

Alex chuckled. "Actually, I was a Science Analyst for the CIA for the last eight years. I've read everything that you, Dr. Foster, and Tony Stark have published. Not that Tony publishes much, but someone has to keep track of his patents."

Bruce put down his fork in surprise and mentally moved her age up a decade. "Someone can actually keep track of Tony's patents?"

Alex laughed. "We make new science analysts track him for a month. If they survive then we know they'll make it," she said with a twinkle. Bruce laughed as well and they both went back to eating.

"So, can I ask you a question?" Alex sounded hesitant, and Bruce tried not to be disappointed. He looked down at his plate- he suddenly wasn't hungry any more. Which question would it be? How he felt when he was the Hulk? Was he aware when we was the Hulk? How he lived with it? He had to control his breathing just thinking about it. Better to get it over with.

"Sure."

Alex paused. He clearly wasn't happy, but this might be her only chance, so...

She blurted out, "Why didn't you cite Nagasawa's paper in your most recent article? I know pure-silica-core fibers aren't currently part of your research, but..."

Bruce's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"I mean," Alex's words tumbled out, "I know it's presumptuous, I'm not a specialist in your field, but the implications..."

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Tony gloated from the kitchen doorway.

Bruce immediately realized what Tony was thinking and flinched. "Morning, Tony."

Tony swaggered over the coffee pot and poured himself a cup; he'd clearly been in the workshop all night and was just coming up for a break.

"And a good morning to you two, too!"

Alex stifled a laugh, Bruce gave her a quick glance and then chuckled also.

"Soooo... introduce me?" Tony leered, leaning against the counter.

Alex smiled. "Agent Alexa Harrow of SHIELD."

Tony turned to Bruce and cocked an eyebrow. "An agent, Bruce? Tsk-tsk, you could do better than that." Both Bruce's and Alex's eyebrows shot up at that.

Alex suddenly grinned and dropped Bruce a wink. If anything, Bruce was even more surprised.

"Thank you for breakfast Dr. Banner. I'll just go see if Nat is awake yet. Nice meeting you Mr. Stark," she smiled and slipped out of the kitchen.

Tony spluttered, "Nat? As in, Natasha?" Alex could hear Bruce's laughter follow her down the hallway.


	2. Alex and Jane

Bruce was deep in research when JARVIS’ calm tones finally intruded on his awareness. Stretching, he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“Sorry JARVIS, I must be as bad as Tony sometimes.”

“You’re hardly that, Dr. Banner.” JARVIS replied, drily. “It is nearly two o’clock and you have not yet eaten lunch.”

“Thanks, that’s a good idea. I need to let this compile anyway.”

“And that, Dr. Banner, proves how very unlike Sir you are.” Bruce laughed and headed up to the kitchen.

Alex and Jane were huddled at the kitchen table, poring over a tablet and planning which tracks Jane would attend at the conference. Alex was now wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with her sling, but still barefoot. Darcy sat on the counter, swinging her legs and loudly pouting that she wouldn’t be going to Switzerland with them.

“No, no. It’s fine. Leave the intern/assistant/best FRIEND behind. Go ski and yodel and, I dunno, eat melty cheese without me. I don’t care.”

Jane sighed and rolled her eyes. This had clearly been going on for some time. “I already told you Darce, this presentation is important, I have to go and they only sponsored one ticket.” Alex gave her a gentle nudge with her elbow and raised her eyebrows, nodding slightly at Darcy. Jane shrugged.

Alex stood and wandered over, leaning her back against the counter.

“You know, it would be nice to have someone else along to ride herd on Jane.” Jane gasped and looked a little hurt but Alex dropped her a wink. “Make sure she eats and is on time for everything. And this two-hour convocation, we could split time so only one of us has to stand in the back of the room half the time.”

Darcy blinked. “You have to stand? For an hour?”

Alex shrugged. “Security detail. And we could split shifts while Jane’s asleep.” Darcy started to squirm.

“And then there’s Jane’s session and the panel she’ll be on later that day. All Q and A. I don’t know all this astrophysics stuff. Too bad I can’t listen to my iPod.”

It was Darcy’s turn to gasp. “You have to _pay attention_?”

“I know, right?” Alex replied with a long face. Now both Jane and Bruce were trying to not to laugh.

“But since you can’t go, I could use your help. You know Jane better than anyone. What snacks should I keep on hand? How can I tell when she’s overtired or stressed? _And_ I can make sure that she brings back a kick-ass souvenir for you.”

Darcy perked up. “Bribery? Now you’re talking my language!” She thought for a moment, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

“Right.” Darcy straightened up. “I’ll make sure that Jane is fully packed and has all her presentation stuff in time for pickup. Plus I’ll email you The Care and Feeding of Jane Foster. In return, you’ll make sure she Skypes me once a day, and I want one of those huge horns like in the Riccola ads!”

Bruce and Jane both flinched. Darcy caught it out of the corner of her eye and deflated a bit, pouting. “Fine. Lederhosen!”

“Deal!” Alex said, sticking out her hand to shake before Darcy could change her mind. “Your size or Ian’s?”

A look of total glee dawned on Darcy’s face. “Ian’s! You’re the best Alex!” She jumped off the counter and ran to her room.

Jane’s face sunk into her hands as Bruce laughed out loud, “That poor boy.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get him an ‘I’m sorry’ gift as well.”

Bruce started getting sandwich fixings out of the fridge. “That was well-played, by the way.”

“Thanks, I have teen nieces; Darcy’s not that far off.” Alex grinned.

Jane started to get flustered. “My presentation…”

Alex rested a hand on Jane’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “You know this inside and out- they’re there to learn from you, not harangue you. Think of it as your dissertation defense except no one is more qualified than you are.” Jane laughed nervously.

“Maybe you could practice your presentation?” Alex quirked an eyebrow at Bruce and he caught the hint immediately.

“I’d be glad to be your audience, and I know enough of what you’re working on to follow along.”

Jane breathed out and clearly relaxed a little. “You’d do that Bruce? Thank you!”

Alex tipped her head up. “JARVIS, would you put an appointment on Bruce and Jane’s schedules for later this week?”

“Already done, Agent Harrow.” JARVIS sounded approving.

“Thank you!”

With the conference planning out of the way Jane relaxed a bit. “Are you staying for movie night, Alex? It’ll be a good chance to meet anyone you’ve missed so far.”

Alex stuck her hand in her pocket and rubbed one foot against the other. “I don’t know…”

Jane gave Alex puppy eyes. “You have to come! Even if Pepper’s there the guys still outnumber us! Say you’ll come?”

Alex turned to Bruce, “Is she really doing puppy eyes on me?”

Bruce laughed, but also gave Alex a careful look; she clearly wasn’t sure if she would be welcome. “If you’ll be working with us, it’s a good chance to see everyone together. Besides, it’s Tony’s night to cook, so we’re ordering Chinese food.”

Alex relaxed a little and smiled. “Okay, I’ll be there.” Jane threw up her hands and said “Yay! Besides, Thor will be back by then and he wanted to meet you since you’ll be my security in Geneva. I’m going to wrap some things up in the lab. See you at dinner!”

Alex paled a little. “Thor?” Bruce chuckled.


	3. Movie Night

The Avengers movie night was a weekly tradition at this point, and fairly legendary for those in the know. Sam lived in the Tower now and hadn't missed a movie night yet. Even Maria Hill could be talked into joining on occasion, and if Phil was in town he would be sprawled on a couch with the rest of them.

Having Tony provide dinner on movie night was convenient, since he didn't cook ("That's what I have you people for, isn't it?"). The local Chinese takeout was more than happy to oblige and usually started cooking early in the afternoon as soon as JARVIS placed their standing order. The delivery boy staggering under a massive box heaped with takeout containers was a familiar sight in the Tower lobby, and he always walked away with a generous tip.

This was the first time Alex had seen all the Avengers gather for a meal and she was clearly impressed. Nearly forty containers cluttered the kitchen table and there was a constant stream of reaching and passing as everyone picked out their favorites before moving to the couches in the main lounge. She was about to dart in and grab something for herself when a massive hand clapped down on her shoulder and a voice boomed over her head, "Lady Alexa! At last we meet!" Bruce had been hovering in the corner of the kitchen hoping to catch this and couldn't help but chuckle at the momentary look of panic on her face.

Alex gave a longing look at the rapidly-diminishing pile of food. Bruce pointed silently and raised his eyebrows; she mouthed "Chicken lo-mein, thanks!" and turned to Thor. Jane was practically bouncing up and down, holding Thor's hand in both of her own. "Alex, this is Thor!"

"I never would have known," Alex replied faintly as she looked at the huge blonde. Gathering herself, she smiled. "Prince Thor! I'm honored to meet you! And please, call me Alex."

"Lady Alex it is, then!" Alex glanced at Jane, who gave a slight shake of her head and rolled her eyes, patting Thor's arm fondly. Clearly, some habits died hard with Thor. "I understand that you are to be guardian and companion to my Lady Jane when she travels to Gen-e-v-ia? And that you have studied her works?"

"Yes, I've been following her publications for several years now..."

"And you have studied war with the Lady Natasha?" Alex stuttered a bit at the sudden change in topic. "Er, yes, we spar together..."

"This is good!" Thor bellowed, clearly pleased since he clapped Alex on the shoulder again. She flinched with a slightly panicked look at Bruce, who was trying to stifle his laughter. "I have trust in the shield-sister of Lady Natasha. The Son of Coul told me of your knowledge and that you would return my Jane to me in safety!"

"I will," promised Alex. Thor beamed, then scooped up a handful of cartons and headed for their favorite loveseat while Jane picked out some sweet and sour chicken.

Alex let out a deep breath and sagged against the counter. "All the debriefing in the world couldn't have prepared me for that."

Bruce laughed and handed Alex her carton, "Yeah, he's rather, enthusiastic?"

Alex grinned and answered wryly, "That's one way to put it," as they followed Thor and Jane into the lounge.

The scene was controlled chaos at best. Thor and Jane were already feeding each other tidbits, while Darcy leaned over Thor's shoulder trying to steal a piece of beef from his container. Clint and Natasha were at one end of a couch, fighting over who got to put their legs in whose lap this time around (Natasha won, as always). Tony was jealously guarding his and Pepper's selections while he waited for her to arrive. Sam had thrown a leg over the arm of his chair was was happily chowing down, talking with his mouth full to Steve who had at least four cartons in front of him. Alex's eyes widened slightly- she'd heard about how much Steve needed to eat, but the speed at which he inhaled his fried rice was impressive. Bruce drifted over to the other end of the couch from Clint and Natasha and Alex hovered for a minute, not sure where to go. With a glance at her sling, she sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Nat and put her container on the coffee table. Nat leaned over her head and Alex looked up with a smile. "So, what do you think so far?"

Alex laughed, "Ask me later." Nat crooked a smile and gestured at Alex's dinner. "Yes, please!" Nat leaned over and expertly unfolded the box into a plate and Alex dug in with her chopsticks.

"Hey! You can do that? I didn't know you could do that!" Clint immediately tried to copy her. Nat rolled her eyes and warned, "You'll end up wearing that..."

Clint chortled, "That's half the fun!" Nat sighed and sat back with her own cashew chicken.

At that moment Pepper entered the room and Alex tried to scramble up. Pepper waved her back down and said, "No, no, sit! You must be Agent Harrow," and offered her hand. Alex fumbled her chopsticks and finally shook hands.

"Ms. Potts, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please call me Alex." "

Then you need to call me Pepper" she replied with a smile. Alex sank back down in awe as Pepper moved over to Tony who pulled her down onto their shared seat with a kiss.

"You hadn't met her yet, I take it?" Bruce asked. Alex shook her head- she was clearly impressed by the CEO. Natasha chuckled, "You should have seen her when we introduced her to JARVIS- talk about a fan girl."

Alex gave her an arch look and sniffed, digging back into her dinner. "Hey, I wrote my thesis on teaching AIs, I was meeting a celebrity!" Nat chuckled and sat back.

Now that everyone was present Tony clearly felt the need to officiate. "All right people, whose turn is it to pick the movie? Come on, chop-chop, time is wasting!"

Darcy yelled from where she was perched on the back of the loveseat, "Alex is a guest! She gets to pick!" A chorus of "Yeah!" and "Sounds good" echoed around the room. Caught with her mouth half-full of lo-mein, Alex tried to swallow quickly and coughed. "I don't know what you've watched?"

"Oh, just pick something," Tony waved dismissively. Steve stepped in since Alex was clearly on the spot. "Just pick one of your favorite movies, it's all good," he said with an encouraging smile.

Alex gave a quick scan around the room, swallowed, and squeaked out "Young Frankenstein?"

The whole room cheered and Tony yelled, "Play it, JARVIS!" Alex let out a breath of relief. Bruce grinned, "Good choice."

"With this many scientists it could have gone either way," she admitted.

The movie progressed with Clint shouting out ALL of his favorite lines (which had to be half the movie), attempts to explain plot-points and inside jokes to Thor, and many, many snarky comments about the science (or lack thereof). When Tony started musing on what it would take to actually bring the dead back to life Pepper clapped a hand over his mouth and said firmly, "No!" Tony murmured something from behind her hand that sounds like "But..." and Pepper repeated, "No!" Then kissed Tony on the forehead and turned back to the movie. Tony muttered a bit about "...never let me have any fun..." but settled back down. There was a brief intermission when Clint yelled "Cookie Time!" which got a "Hell yeah!" out of Darcy. Everyone took turns reading their fortunes, with the prerequisite "...in bed" tacked at the end. Steve blushed a bit and muttered that they probably weren't making a very good impression on Alex, but the agent in question was laughing so hard she was having trouble breathing. After some general cleanup the movie resumed.

Alex produced a small brush from her back pocket and started pulling out bobby pins. Nat immediately pounced, making grabby hands and saying "Gimme!" until Alex laughed and handed her the brush. Nat made quick work of the hairpins and picked apart Alex's braids, brushing the long waves of hair down past Alex's shoulders. Darcy scrambled over the back of the couch and plopped between Bruce and Nat saying "Me, next!" Nat protected the hairbrush from Darcy's clutches with an evil grin.

By the time the movie was over Natasha and Darcy had taken turns braiding Alex's hair in different styles several times each. Jane had even scooted over for a turn, and then had to go back and braid Thor's hair since he was feeling left out. Half the room stretched and started to go their separate ways. Usually movie night was two movies back-to-back, but Young Frankenstein was a long one and there was a big meeting at headquarters in the morning. Alex said good-night to everyone, and promised Jane she'd see her next week for the conference.

Bruce lingered a moment. "Not going to be at breakfast?"

"I should be, but I have to be out the door extra-early."

"Sounds good- good night!"

Alex wished him good night as well and followed Nat back to her rooms. Bruce hummed to himself a little and then wandered down to his lab; he had a few things to finish up.

***

The next morning Bruce woke up feeling gritty. He'd gotten caught up in something in the lab and had been up later than he intended. He rolled over and blinked at the clock. 8:30? He scrambled out of bed and quickly showered. Entering the communal kitchen he could see the remains from the early breakfast shift. Hoping he wrong, he asked "JARVIS? Did I miss the SHIELD folks leaving?"

"Yes, Dr. Banner."

"Oh." Bruce was surprisingly disappointed, and started assembling a cup of tea.

"However, a note was left for you on the refrigerator, Sir."

"Really?" Bruce walked over and read the post-it note attached to the door: "Bruce, Thanks for patching me up. I owe you an omelet. Alex"

Bruce smiled, tucked the note in his pocket and went back to fixing his tea.


	4. The Care and Feeding of Jane Foster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos! This is my first fanfic and I'm having a lot of fun. There's more to come! I can't promise that I'll be able to keep up this chapter-a-day thing, but I have the next few already planned out.
> 
> (By the way, I have snippets of the Avengers fortune cookies and part of Darcy's list- if I go back and finish those I'll post them as stand-alones.)

Bruce actually ended up hearing Jane's presentation in its entirety three times over the next week. Darcy dug up a pair of pom-poms from somewhere to help boost's Jane's confidence, but it tended to either break her concentration or bring on a case of the giggles. Tony stopped by the lab and listened for a whole five minutes before he began making suggestions.

"Just, y'know, imagine everyone naked. It's easy!"

The look of horror on Jane's face convinced everyone except Tony that this was a terrible idea and Darcy had to forcibly drag him out of the room, Tony shouting even worse ideas over his shoulder on the way out the door.

They took a short break and Darcy convinced Jane to have a small glass of wine to settle her nerves. Unfortunately, Jane hadn't eaten yet and is the proverbial cheap date. Darcy had to toss the idea of getting Jane liquored up for some Dutch courage before her presentation. It was too bad, really.

In the meantime, life at the Tower was business as usual. Steve and Sam were working a few leads on tracking down the Winter Soldier. Hill had Natasha and Clint in and out every couple of days, tracking down a few loose HYDRA agents who had been spotted in Queens. Pepper was making noises about getting away from the Tower for a few days and Tony agreed as long as she planned the trip. That spat lasted almost two days, which put everyone's nerves on edge; Tony whined that it wasn't his fault and Pepper gave him the silent treatment while being unbearably sweet to everyone else. It was downright scary.

It was one of those weeks when you almost hoped for an alien invasion, or at a least a good old-fashioned bank robbery.

Tuesday rolled around and Darcy was a whirlwind getting Jane ready for the conference. Darcy's ability to ride herd on a distracted (and nervous) astrophysicist had never been better proven. By 6 p.m. on the dot Darcy, Jane, Jane's suitcase and all her presentation materials were waiting in the common room. Sam and Bruce were halfway through a chess match, and Tony and Pepper had made up and were now negotiating where they would go (and everyone else was already tired of this new round of wrangling). Natasha offered to send Tony to Siberia while she and Pepper did a spa weekend in Maldives. Pepper looked like she was seriously considering it.

JARVIS announced, "Sir, Agent Harrow is about to arrive."

"Yeah, yeah, send her in."

Alex stepped out of the elevator and Darcy whooped "Damn, girl!" and gave her a high-five. Alex grinned and turned to say hello to Tony and Pepper.

"Hello, Ms. P--, er, Pepper. Tony."

"Well, now I know where I rate," Tony grinned, making it clear he wasn't serious.

"Very nice!" Pepper praised, looking over Alex's outfit. She looked like a well-dressed PA in a navy suit and skirt, creme blouse and neutral heels with an ankle strap. In all, she looked put-together and very competent. She wore her usual double-crown braid and wisps of hair were already escaping, which helped soften the look.

Alex pinked and turned to Darcy and Jane. "No Thor?"

"Nope!" Darcy explained, "They already said their goodbyes, for THREE HOURS!" Now it was Jane's turn to blush. "If he was here we'd never get her out the door on time!"

Nat chuckled and said, "It's true," giving Alex a little half-hug. Tony raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. Nat coolly gave him an "I-can-kill-you-without-even-trying," look and Tony chose to go pour himself a drink.

"You know, don't thank me or anything, since it's MY driver taking you to MY jet..."

Pepper cocked an eyebrow and clarified, " _Stark Industries'_ jet." Tony huffed and both Bruce and Sam laughed.

"How is your shoulder feeling? I see you have the sling off," Bruce gestured with his glasses.

"Healing up nicely, thanks, the stitches are already out."

"Does that mean you'll be able to start sparring soon?" Sam sounded hopeful.

"Not for another week yet- they have me doing some simple stretches so it doesn't tighten up. So, hopefully when we get back. Speaking of, Happy is waiting for us."

Darcy proceeded to extract the pile of papers and half-open briefcase from Jane and hand them to Alex, who quickly arranged and tucked everything into the case. Alex also took Jane's coat, which was half-dragging behind her and suddenly they were ready to go. There was a quick round of good-byes and the two women were gone. Darcy skipped off to her room to luxuriate in the freedom (which would become boredom in less than an hour). Tony and Pepper wandered off; it sounded like they might be finding a consensus on Antigua.

Sam gave a low whistle. "She cleans up nice, huh?" Bruce raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Nat frowned for a moment; she was clearly considering something and the two men waited for her response.

Nat looked carefully at each of them. "Alex... is coming out of a bad relationship." She paused. "Very bad. Be gentlemen." Sam nodded somberly and Bruce suddenly felt embarrassed, although he wasn't entirely sure why. After watching their reactions for a moment, Nat gave a short nod and wandered off.

Sam looked thoughtful, and they resumed their chess game.

***

In all, the conference went smoothly. Darcy's tips for managing Jane were all good (if a trifle blunt), and Alex only needed her to breathe into a paper bag once (just before her presentation). Alex's room was next to Jane's with a connecting door. Alex made sure she was up in time in the morning, kept her on schedule during the day escorting her between events, and saw her safely back to the room at night. She also made sure that Jane took breaks, ate as regularly and healthily as conference/hotel food would allow, and chatted when Jane wasn't talking with other scientists. Jane was impressed that Alex was familiar with many of the big-name speakers; apparently the CIA science analysts were privy to some prime gossip that Jane hadn't heard; it was just a bit catty.

Jane was also surprised to learn that Alex was holed up in an office on one of the lower floors of the Tower right down the hall from Maria. Her primary duty was evaluating the science data that had been dumped from SHIELD's servers, making risk assessments and building a team to track who else might be using those files. Apparently, Hill was carefully controlling how much exposure Alex had to the Avengers. Jane nudged Alex that her time off was her own and she was welcome to come up and visit any time. While Alex smiled and agreed, Jane had a feeling that she'd check with Maria anyway before visiting.

Alex did keep her promise and made sure that Jane Skyped Darcy once a day. Darcy realized that Jane hadn't factored in the time difference, but it was fun to see her tipsy after the reception, or gush about science-stuff. Not only did Jane and Alex find Lederhosen, but they also picked up a felt hat with leather band and pheasant feathers to finish the ensemble.

By the end of the conference, Jane was exhausted but exuberant. Her presentation was well-received, and having Tony Stark's public backing (not to mention his financial support) had gone a long way to helping build credibility for her theories. Curiously, the Stark name seemed to do more than having an actual alien walking around New York. Go figure.

Even though they both slept on the flight back, Jane was disoriented and jet-lagged as Alex guided her through the Tower lobby to the elevator.

"Welcome home, Dr. Foster, Agent Harrow. I trust that the conference went well?"

Alex answered for Jane, who was half-asleep on her shoulder. "Very well, JARVIS, thank you. Jane's floor please."

"Very good. Both Prince Thor and Ms. Lewis are awaiting her return." Jane perked up a little at the mention of Thor and smiled sleepily. "Director Hill is waiting in her office when you are done, Agent Harrow."

"Of course, thank you JARVIS." No one was really surprised that Maria was still up this close to midnight and expecting a debrief.

As soon as the elevator doors opened Thor scooped Jane up and planted a kiss on her lips. Jane spluttered a little and laughed. "Lady Alex, thank you for returning my Lady Jane to me. Truly I am in your debt." Alex tried to wave it off, but Thor was already carrying Jane down the hall to their apartment. Jane wave once over his shoulder before the door closed behind them.

Darcy sighed and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, totally sleeping with my earphones on tonight. So, where is it?!" Alex handed over the boxes and Darcy's "Squee!" echoed down the hallway. She gave Alex a hug, then took Jane's things to deliver in the morning... or whenever they came up for air.

Alex sighed and stepped back into the elevator. "How has the science team been while I was away JARVIS? Their last update was pretty sparse."

JARVIS made the sound suspiciously like someone clearing their throat. "Apparently, Sir learned about your task and that I was collaborating at Director Hill's request." Jarvis paused. It was a remarkably dramatic pause for an AI. "They, ah, had words."

Alex sighed again, except this one was almost a groan. "Thanks for the warning, JARVIS." Alex straightened up and stepped onto the administrative floor. Maria's door was standing open and in direct line with the elevator so there was no dodging; it had been a long four days and it wasn't over yet.


	5. Home

_Well, that was... unexpected._

 

Alex staggered into the elevator and groaned as she unbuckled her shoes. Carrying them by the straps, she sighed with relief as the doors closed.

It was nearly 1:30 am and the debrief was just as grueling as she'd feared, highlighted by a verbatim account of the argument between Hill and Stark. When Maria finally wound down Alex could barely keep her eyes open. With a sharp look, Hill cleared her throat and said, "Here," handing Alex a small plastic card.

"Ma'am?" 

Maria winced; she hated being "Ma'am"-ed, but hadn't been able to break Harrow of the habit yet.

"Stark did have at least one good point in all of that. If you're going to be assigned to the Avengers, you need 24/7 access to them, and them to you." 

She continued off-handedly, "Natasha also let me know that while she's happy to put you up in her guest room, she'd prefer not to do it after every mission. She wants her privacy."

Alex was very careful to not react to that piece of info- she had her own thoughts about why Nat wanted her privacy and why Maria might be willing to make sure that particular request was met. Alex nodded, but on the way out the door Maria added lightly, "By the way, nice work, Agent." Alex looked at Hill in surprise, but Maria was already focusing on some paperwork, her negligent wave and "That will be all" a clear dismissal.

Alex looked over the black card; it was completely blank. "JARVIS, could you take me to my room?"

"Of course Agent Harrow, and may I welcome you home?"

Alex beamed, "Thank you JARVIS, that's very sweet."

"I hope the rooms are to your liking. Agent Romanov and Ms. Lewis spent some time unpacking your things, and Ms. Potts added a few touches to help you feel comfortable."

Alex stepped off the elevator onto the guest floor, guided by gently-glowing lights that directed her to a door on her left. "My stuff...?" The door swung open and Alex gasped.

The suite was gorgeous, with a highly polished dark wood floor and arching windows looking out over the city skyline. There was a lounge area, a well-stocked efficiency kitchen, a massive bed and the bathroom had a garden tub with spa jets. The colors were mostly silver-grey and a dusky lavender, which earned Alex's approval.

Poking through the closets and drawers revealed her wardrobe, which didn't fill even a quarter of the space. The last few years she'd gotten used to moving between assignments every couple of months. She had been in New York nearly a year when a space-slug landed on her apartment building thanks to the Chitauri and there went the few pieces of furniture that she'd managed to collect. For a few weeks she'd mostly lived in her office until co-workers put her up on their couch. She was still there when HYDRA revealed itself and things went to hell in all new ways. After her recruitment she now had a room on the helicarrier, but it was a glorified closet with a shared bathroom, at best.

This... this was  _luxury_.

The kitchen table had a bouquet of freesias with a "Welcome to the Tower!" card from Pepper, and some of the decadent goodies in the refrigerator were probably from her as well. Darcy had clearly contributed some of the more colorful throw pillows and a pop-art framed poster of the Avengers. Alex picked out Natasha's touches right away, although they were certainly more subtle: the plush comforter on the bed (Alex was always cold), some scented bath salts she recognized from Nat's own collection, and a soft grey house robe. She laughed out loud when she found the pajama set, which included the black-and-purple pants she had borrowed the last time she was the Tower. Poor Clint- he was never going to get those back.

Alex sat on the bed and rubbed her eyes a minute. She was exhausted but didn't want to go to bed grimy and dirty up the sinfully high-thread-count sheets. She'd have to find out where the shared laundry was and maybe do some shopping, but that could wait until the morning. After a quick shower she slid into bed, but as tired as she was she laid awake for a while, looking out over the city lights. She gently rubbed the slowly-healing scar on her shoulder before finally rolling over with a sigh and falling asleep.

***

The next morning Alex wandered up to the shared kitchen in her new bathrobe, just in time for The Breakfast Show.

"Hey! There she is!" Steve called from the stove with a wave of a spatula. He was flipping pancakes while Clint fried bacon and sausages. Bruce was pouring juice into glasses, and Darcy huddled over a cup of coffee. Natasha pushed a chair out with her foot and commanded, "Sit. Blueberry pancakes sound okay?"

Alex rubbed an eye. "That sounds great!" Nat slid two onto her plate and passed the syrup.

The team members had been living in the Tower long enough that groups meals had taken on a choreography of their own. Sam waved from across the table, and Tony propped up a counter out of the way of the cooks, focusing on his own cup of coffee. Alex tucked her feet up on the bottom rung of the chair and tried not to drag her sleeves through the syrup while she watched and ate.

Bruce sat down on her right and looked over his glasses at her feet. "You know, this is only the fourth time we've met and I've only seen you wear shoes once."

Alex wiggled her toes and grinned, "I avoid them as much as possible," which got a "Hell yeah!" from Clint.

Alex looked over at Darcy and Nat gave the brunette a nudge with her elbow. "Hey thanks for decorating my room, it's awesome! You couldn't have given me a hint last night,  though?"

Darcy blinked a moment and then smiled, "Glad you like it! Yeah, it was a surprise! Were you surprised?"

"Yeah, I was," Alex chuckled.

"Ah, that reminds me," Tony chimed in and passed something to Alex. "StarkPad. Order groceries, schedule housekeeping, map of the Tower, you know, that stuff." He waved it off when she tried to thank him. Since Bruce had one next to his plate and there was another on the counter, probably everyone had one, like the room cards.

"Hey Alex, want some bacon?" Sam offered.

"No thanks, unless you have turkey bacon?"

Sam looked a little disappointed but Clint chimed in, "Bruce has some hidden the freezer. I'm sure he'll share!" Bruce looked a bit embarrassed as Clint fished it out and started heating a separate pan.

Nat leaned toward Alex, "Clint is expert at finding food no matter where they hide it." She looked a bit smug- clearly Clint hadn't found Nat's stash of sweets yet.

"No Jane or Thor?" Alex asked.

Darcy rolled her eyes, "Not for a few hours. Which is good or else Thor would have eaten all the pancakes by now."

Nat asked Alex, "What's the plan for today?"

"Well, I have 48 hours to settle in, do laundry, pick up a few things I need from the store, that kind of thing. And I could use a tour."

"Ooh! Me me me!" Darcy waved a hand overhead wildly. "I'll show you around!" 

Alex laughed, "Thanks Darce, after breakfast and I get dressed?"

Steve and Clint finally joined the table and Alex watched as Steve demolished a stack of a dozen pancakes. She turned to Bruce in awe, "Have you tried to measure his metabolism?"

"It varies based how active he is and if he's healing from an injury, but baseline appears to be four times that of an average human. You get used to it eventually."

"Hey, I'm right here guys," Steve said with a blush and a grin between forkfuls. Everyone laughed and Tony smirked over his coffee mug.

Cleanup was just as disorganized, but with so many hands was done in a flash. 

"We'll meet here in half an hour," Darcy commanded and then sped off. 

"I guess I have a timetable. See you in a bit!" Alex headed back to her room. She could get used to having a real breakfast in the morning- it certainly beat the cafeteria food on the helicarrier.


	6. Taking the Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, I can READ fic, or I can WRITE fic, but not both at once. So I blame my lateness on chaya! This whole chapter was only supposed to be a couple paragraphs, but the characters keep doing things. Especially Darcy. I now understand all the Darcy-love.

Darcy was almost dancing in anticipation by the time Alex returned to the common room. Alex had changed into a long-sleeved tunic over loose black pants that flared around her calves. At Nat's suggestion she'd slipped on some black cloth shoes.

"This!" announced Darcy doing her best Vanna White impersonation, "is the lounge!"

Alex laughed and shook her head, "I have been here before."

"Ah, but that time you were a guest! Now you get to learn all the really cool, important things, like this is the Most Comfy Chair!" Darcy explained, taking a flying leap backwards into the chair in question. She quickly ran through which consoles were available, who was better at which games, who hides the remote where, and how to turn on the voice-activated fireplace in the most dramatic fashion possible. The took turn waving imaginary wands and quoting Harry Potter.

Darcy then proceeded to give Alex a whirlwind tour of the finer points of the kitchen, including how to use the fancy coffeemaker that was only slightly less intelligent than one of the 'bots, where Clint was hiding chocolate chip cookies this week, and how to order for the communal kitchen. There was a board with a rough schedule of whose turn it was to cook when, and if anyone knew they'd miss a meal ahead of time it was usually noted on the board. Both munching on stolen cookies, Darcy showed her the dining rooms, the library (which hardly anyone used- all the books ended up in the lounge eventually), the games room (see aforementioned note regarding the library) and important nooks and corners (such as where the guest bathrooms are so she wouldn't have to go back down to her apartment unless she wanted to). On the balcony outside the wall-to-wall windows were the helipad on the right and clusters of patio furniture with a good-sized firepit and a massive grill that could probably roast a pig on the opposite side.

Tony and Pepper were one floor up in the penthouse. The floor directly below the common area was the gym and training rooms, including a full-sized Olympic pool and hot tub big enough to fit all the Avengers at once (except maybe the Hulk). There was even a sauna and yoga room off the gym. Alex looked approvingly at the tatami mats and equipment stored on wooden shelves along one wall.

"Do you yoga?" Darcy asked, striking a pose.

"Some yoga and tai chi."

Darcy hopped up and down clapping her hands. "Bruce has been teaching Tony but he doesn't, Tony doesn't, I mean, like to do it if anyone's watching except Bruce and he's, Tony I mean, usually really busy."

Alex blinked for a moment while she translated that. "Nat does yoga," she supplied, cautiously.

"I KNOW! She's so perfect at it! But she doesn't do it much. I don't think, y'know, she gets much out of it."

Alex gave her a sharp look- Darcy was more perceptive than her bubbly nature suggested. Alex suddenly gave her a warm smile, "Yeah, Nat is excellent at whatever she chooses to do. Is there any schedule to using the room?"

"Nope! Or at least not that I know of. Bruce offered to help me learn how to meditate, but it's so hard!" she explained with an aggrieved sigh. They both laughed and moved down to the next floor.

Below was an extensive medical unit. Bruce had already commented on Clint's aversion to medical care, and most of the Avengers seemed to react the same way in one degree or another. Bruce did minor patch-ups, while Tony's personal physician took care of more serious injuries.

Next was the "science floor", where Bruce and Jane had their labs and living quarters. Darcy's suite was actually off of Jane's apartment, but had its own exit which was handy when Thor was visiting. The suite off Bruce's apartment was called the "Hulk room" and had been specially reinforced. Darcy gave a quick tour of Jane's lab where they were working on building an Einstein-Rosen bridge. It was clear that Darcy only vaguely understood what most of the equipment did, which put her over most of the astrophysicists at the conference Alex had just left. They peeked through the windows but Bruce's wasn't in the lab.

Darcy excitedly showed off her suite; the room was a riot of color and a certified disaster-area, reminding Alex of sharing a bedroom with her older sister in their teens. Mixed in with stuffed animals and more throw pillows than Alex could imagine were science grant applications and random pieces of machinery from the lab. Darcy showed Alex how JARVIS could project onto any wall and access her iTunes playlist.

"You don't mind being the media center for the whole Tower?" Alex asked hesitantly.

"This is one of the many purposes for which Sir designed me, and uses only a tiny portion of my processing power."

"Aw, don't be so modest, J! He's got mad DJ skillz!" If an AI could blush, Alex had a feeling that JARVIS would.

"I do find predicting the types of music individuals prefer an interesting study and will occasionally make recommendations on newer artists," JARVIS admitted.

The next floor was the residential level, also known as the "SHIELD floor". Clint and Natasha had apartments across from each other. Phil Coulson also had a suite set aside but was rarely there. Maria's apartment was next to Phil's, and Steve and Sam were down the hall. The guest suites where Alex was staying were just below, but the other rooms all were empty at the moment.

Tony's workshop and private garage were on the lowest levels. They rode the elevator down and Tony waved them in, his usually-blasting music already turned down for Bruce. The two were huddled over something on one of the worktables, and Bruce waved hello while Darcy dragged Alex over to the meet the 'bots.

"This is You," she explained, "and here is Butterfingers." Both robots whirred and beeped at Darcy- she was clearly a favorite.

"Hi! Nice to meet you!" Alex laughed as the two started circling and looking her over carefully.

"Hey, Tony! Where's Dummy?" Darcy yelled.

"He's in time-out, no, no, nope, get back over there you useless piece of hardware..."

Dummy had heard his name and rolled over. After carefully examining Alex he held up his arm. "What should I...?" Darcy clapped her hands, laughing, "Give him a high-five!" Alex did and Dummy whirred happily, then immediately began plucking at Alex's shirttail and pulling her toward the blender.

"Don't drink anything he gives you!" Tony called over his shoulder. Both Darcy and Bruce were laughing at the bemused look on Alex's face.

Tony threw the blueprint for the protoype on the holographic projector so he and Bruce could figure out where they needed to make changes. Alex sank slowly onto the couch watching them and absently patting Dummy on his chassis.

"Are you okay, Alex?" Darcy recognized the blissed-out expression; she'd had it herself a few times since moving to the Tower.

"I just can't believe that this is my life. Here I am, socializing with AIs I wrote reserarch papers on in college. If I had this kind of access at the NSA my cryptography programming would have been completely different..."

"Wait a minute." Tony was frowning at her. "Wait wait wait. Alexa Harrow. Alex? Alex C. Harrow? You won a Stark grant for AI research. I thought you were a guy?"

Alex laughed wryly, "Most men usually do." Darcy sniggered. "Considering that it was a STEM grant for women in the sciences it's a good thing I'm not."

Bruce looked suitably impressed, "Those are very competitive."

"Yeah, it was one of the reasons the CIA scooped me up," she explained.

Tony pointed at her, "Your last paper was pretty good, that journal-thing. You going to keep working on that with JARVIS here?"

"I, uh, I'm pretty busy between training and assembling the science team- there was a huge amount of data on the SHIELD servers..."

"How is that going anyway?" Darcy rolled her eyes and flopped on the couch next to Alex, resigned to science-talk for a while longer.

"Good! I have a team of six plus myself now, and a lead on one of the analysts from my old team at the CIA- I might be able to hire him away. Right now we're mostly tracking search queries and download logs of the existing data, but JARVIS is helping build an algorithim for tracking patterns of purchases for anyone who might try to replicate some of the bigger projects."

Tony nodded and looked thoughtful a moment, then clapped his hands loudly. "So, hey! Lunch anyone?"

"Yeah!" Darcy jumped up. "Maybe Jane and Thor are up by now. And after lunch, Nat and I can take you shopping!" Alex laughed and waved goodbye to Dummy, who waved back sadly as they left.


	7. Settling In

The next few weeks set the pattern for Alex's schedule. She spent the majority of her time with the science team picking through reams of data. A few SHIELD members who had been in hiding turned up, and once cleared were put back to work. With the algorithm mostly complete, Alex was able to step back into a supervisory role and turn her attention to other duties.

In addition to her own training with Nat and range time with Clint, Alex also sat in on sparring sessions, learning individual strengths and weaknesses and how the team members worked together. There were long meetings with Hill and Steve, and several recovery trips to former SHIELD locations to secure whatever files were left. Some of the bases would be put back in use, while others would be retired permanently; the current estimate that possibly as much as a fifth of SHIELD had been active Hydra was sobering.

Tony and JARVIS worked on the employee lists, hunting down anyone who was missing and determining their alliance. Technically, Maria worked for Stark Industries now and the Avengers were an independent body, with the new SHIELD a vague overlap between the two. The running joke was that SHIELD now stood for "Stark Has Interrogated Everyone and Locked Down," but it wasn't that far from the truth; the fact that his inventions had been turned against him for a second time brought out Tony's worst, and his fights with Hill bordered on the epic.

It wasn't all work, however. Alex went running with Sam, and Darcy and Bruce both joined her for Tai Chi lessons. Darcy stuck it our bravely for almost two weeks before the early hour and slow pace finally lost her interest.

"I mean, you're an awesome teacher and it looks so cool, but..." Darcy shrugged, "maybe if you had music?" She suggested hopefully. Alex wasn't offended and offered to spar with her instead, which Darcy jumped on willingly.

Alex took a turn providing dinner for most of the group with a huge pot of pasta with spicy chicken sausage and vegetables in olive oil and herbs. Garlic bread and a dark leaf salad with strawberries and raspberry vinaigrette rounded out the meal; everyone declared it a success.

Alex was relieved, "I haven't had to cook for such a crowd in a long time, not mention Steve's appetite."

Clint laughed; "You should have seen our first couple of group meals. We ended up having to cook more or pull something else out of the fridge halfway through."

"You have a big family, too?" Sam asked. Most of the Avengers didn't come from much, if any family; Sam was the only one with an extended clan.

"It didn't seem that way to us. I was the youngest of three, plus my folks. My dad left the army when I was still in middle school and went into the force. Two or three nights a week he'd bring someone home, an army buddy, an officer who didn't have a family, or a few times someone he'd picked up who just needed a hot meal. Plus whichever of our school friends were there on a given night. We always made extra just in case."

Clint looked at Nat out of the corner of his eye. "Where's your family now?" Everyone had quickly figured out that while Natasha knew Alex well, Nat was almost as closed about Alex's history and she was about her own. Why was a popular topic for speculation, especially since Alex seemed pretty open about herself. Clint had a good idea, but he'd keep any secret of Natasha's without question.

"My dad is with my sister and her family in Iowa. Mom passed a few years ago- cancer. She was only 67, and Dad took it hard. For a while we thought he would follow her." The table was quiet as they took that in. "About that time my sister's husband walked out. Best thing for everyone, really. Dad moved in to help out, and Jessie wanted to keep an eye on him. He's wonderful with my nieces and having him there really helped the girls get through the divorce. He's a stay-at-home grandpa now." Alex grinned.

"You said that you were one of three?" Steve asked. He was thinking about Bucky's family and how the Barnes' had taken him in and fed him more often than not over the years. It sounded like Alex's family was similar; it was a familiar feeling, if a little sad.

"Mikey, Mike, was the oldest. He followed Dad into the army. He didn't make it back from his second tour in Iraq." She smiled sadly and a few heads around the table nodded. Jane gave Alex's hand a squeeze. "Dad hoped that we'd all follow him, army, police, or both. He gave me a hard time about wanting to go CIA, but he pushed me to do my best and he was so proud when I was accepted. He's a good guy, you'd like him."

By that time dinner was well over. Bruce got up and started clearing the table, while Sam and Clint started packing away the meager leftovers.

"I have to go meet with Pepper. She has a three-day trip to Hong Kong, and Tony wants some extra SHIELD coverage since we're still rounding up Hydra operatives," Alex explained as she updated the "Away" board.

"Awww," Darcy groaned, "You're going to miss movie night!"

"Darn, I guess I'll have to go shopping in Hong Kong to console myself, then." Alex grinned.

Darcy narrowed her eyes dangerously. "If you go shopping and don't bring me back a souvenir...":

"Hey, can I get in on that?" Clint asked eagerly.

"Only if Nat says you were good while I was gone."

Clint sighed, "Pfft. So much for that." There was general laughter and the group broke up for the evening.

***

Tony was pacing back and forth while Pepper sipped from a bottle of water, watching him quietly.

"I could go..."

"No, Tony. You're needed here." She put the bottle down and stepped in front of him, gently resting her hands on his shoulders. He stopped pacing, but was still hunched forward, scowling at the floor. "I'll have Happy and his team, and Maria will send Alex. You've seen her fight Nat, and she did a good job with Jane."

Tony made a frustrated sound. "Jane isn't a high-risk target. I'd just... feel better if there was an Avenger there."

"Tony," she said softly, stepping closer. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Tony buried his face in her shoulder. She gently stroked his hair. "I can defend myself if I have to..."

He turned away suddenly, and just as quickly turned back, taking her hands. "You shouldn't have to. I just want to make sure you're safe."

Pepper bit her lip. "If you really want me to stay I can send someone else, but Tony, you know this acquisition..."

"No, no no. I know. You have to go." He let out a deep sigh, then stepped forward and kissed her gently. He looked in the eye, "Just, come back safe, okay?"

"Yes, of course Tony. I promise." Pepper stepped into his arms and they held each other for a long moment.

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Agent Harrow to here to see Ms. Potts."

Pepper took half a step back and looked at Tony. He gave a short nod. "Right. Okay. Thanks J. Send her in."

Alex stepped through the door and Tony gave her a short wave and began pacing again.

"Okay. So here's the thing. Make sure she stays safe. Do what you need to do- Happy knows the drill. Oh, and if Wei gets handsy with her, you have my permission to break his kneecaps. Capische?"

Alex smothered a smile and nodded solemnly. "Understood, Mr. Stark."

"Tony," he corrected. "Just, just Tony." He looked uncertain for a moment, then gave Pepper a kiss on the cheek and stalked out of the room.

Pepper sighed. "JARVIS, please keep an eye on him in the workshop please?"

"Of course, Ms. Potts."

Pepper sat back down and gestured for Alex to join her.

"Will he be alright?"

Pepper smiled. "Thank you for asking. He will be, it's just been very tense. Tony feels responsible for a lot of what's happened, and he worries."

Alex nodded slowly. "I think I understand. Let's go over the agenda and security measures and maybe was can ease one worry."

Pepper relaxed a little, she definitely liked Alex. "Are you sure you wouldn't like a job as a PA?" she teased.

Alex grinned, "How's the pay?"


	8. Here and There

The next few days were fairly quiet around the Tower. Tony tended to throw himself into projects while Pepper was away and didn't leave the workshop much, and Bruce had his own experiments to work on. Darcy was planning a trip back to London to see Ian. He was at Jane's mother's house with Erik, who was slowly recovering. Erik had wanted to get away from New York as soon as possible and no one could really blame him; he still had to be reminded to put on pants before going out, but the worst of his trauma was beginning to subside. Thor was called away to another realm, and Jane decided to go with Darcy to visit her mum.

That night dinner was more subdued than usual.

"You know, I hate to say it, but it's awfully quiet lately," Sam mused.

Half the room groaned and Clint glared over his shoulder while stirring a pot on the stove, "You just had to go and say it, didn't you? Now something's going to explode and we're only at half-strength."

Steve shook his head and smiled, "We can handle it. That's the advantage of having a large team."

"Where's Natasha?" Bruce wondered as he set out bowls and a basket of crusty bread.

"She and Hill are out," Clint supplied.

Steve took a piece of bread and began to butter it. "Mission? Or, you know, out-out?"

Clint shrugged, "With them it could be both."

"Is it me, or does Hill not really like Alex?" Sam asked casually; Clint was being more gossipy than usual, maybe since he was bored.

Clint laughed, "Initially yeah, but she's mostly over it. She thought Tasha and Alex had a thing going; it took her a while to believe that Alex and Nat were actually just friends. She wasn't too happy about the way Alex was recruited, either."

"Oh, how so?" Bruce asked as Clint started ladling out the thick stew.

"Tasha recommended Alex to Fury, although she'd apparently already been flagged. Anyway, she was in the stack of new recruits Fury won just before he was attacked. Nothing was in the system yet and things were a mess after the Triskelion."

"Wait a minute," Steve frowned, "won? You mean that rumor about Fury's poker games is true? I thought it was just a story to mess with new agents."

"Nope," Clint said with a evil chuckle. "Hill hates it because it's always extra paperwork for her."

"How did they meet, anyway?" Sam took a spoonful of the stew and made happy noises. Clint was pleased; it was kind of nice to have a smaller group for dinner once in a while.

"Now that I won't share, since I don't have all the details anyway. All I know is that Nat was on a mission to pick up some info that the NSA didn't want to share. Apparently they were both someplace they weren't supposed to be, but they're extremely cagey about it. I saw the official report on the mission and Alex isn't mentioned at all." Clint gave a one-shouldered shrug and dug into his bowl of stew.

Bruce picked at his vegetarian portion. "So, is she supposed to be our new Coulson?" The table was quiet a moment.

Clint shook his head, "She's not a handler. She may have been CIA but was mostly a desk jockey. She seems to have the science down, though, and she's working on something with Tony that no one's talking about."

JARVIS cleared his throat, "Actually, Agent Barton, that isn't classified if you'd like to know more." JARVIS almost never intruded on a conversation, much less supplied unsolicited information, so this was a surprise. 

"Sir has Agent Harrow working with us on a new form of encryption. He wishes to ensure that Stark assets and the new SHIELD are truly as secure as he can make them. Agent Harrow's experience with Artificial Intelligences and cryptography make her a useful companion."

"Aww JARVIS, I think you like her!" Sam said, laughing.

"I enjoy working with Agent Harrow. It is refreshing to have a new face about the Tower and she is integrating easily into social routines." JARVIS said a little haughtily.

There were chuckles about the table and the conversation moved on to other topics.

***

Meanwhile, Alex was learning more about Stark Industries and its CEO.

The jet held Pepper, her PA, two members from legal who were going over the final details of the contracts, Happy and his security team, Alex, plus the pilot and steward. While she'd been on the plane before, this was rather a crowd, even for a luxury jet. Mostly she stayed in the background, keeping an eye on everyone and listening. She made a point of deferring to Happy, and she could tell by his preening that he appreciated the compliment.

At touchdown they were met by representatives from the Stark Hong Kong offices and escorted to a hotel that was only slightly less ostentatious than the Tower. Alex quickly realized that Pepper never really stopped working; even while changing clothes she was giving orders to her PA and scheduling meetings. For two days Alex did little more than stand guard and stay alert. Thankfully, the negotiations went smoothly and the final acquisition was approved to everyone's satisfaction. After a formal corporate dinner to celebrate they returned to the hotel and Pepper gave her staff the night off.

Pepper flopped onto the couch and kicked off her shoes; leaning her head over the back of the couch she let out a huge sigh. "Thank goodness that's finally over- what a song and dance!"

Alex chuckled a little. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, no no! You get a break now, too. Well, not really, I know, but come sit down and have a glass of wine with me. I'm sure you're dying to take off your shoes."

Alex hesitated a moment and then sank into a chair, giving a deep sigh of relief as she kicked off her heels. "Honestly, I don't know how you do it all."

Pepper laughed and poured, handing Alex a glass. "I don't know sometimes either, but I can't imagine doing anything else."

Both women put up their feet and sipped wine in companionable silence for a few moments, just relaxing.

"So now that business is done for a bit, how about some girl-talk?" Pepper asked as she started taking off her jewelry. "How are you settling into SHIELD?"

Alex shrugged off her suit jacket and chuckled, "How is that not work-talk?"

Pepper waved a hand, "Oh, you know what I mean! Really, how is it?"

Alex took a sip of wine as she considered her reply. "It's, well, different of course. Exciting. Challenging. It's nice to be recognized for my skills. But it's chaotic. There's so much going on, and I wasn't there 'before' so I don't have context for a lot of things."

"Natasha didn't warn you?" Pepper opened the box of fancy chocolates provided by the hotel, picked one out and pushed the box in Alex's direction. They each bit into a piece and murmured happily, exchanging a look that only women with wine and chocolate understand.

"Yes and no," she replied with a little shrug. "I figured out who she was early on, but didn't know who she was working for until we'd known each other about a year. Only that it was the American government. She could have been CIA for all I knew."

Pepper made a surprised sound and reached for another chocolate. "You didn't ask?"

Alex laughed, "No, if Nat wanted me to know, she'd tell me." She paused a moment, "Besides, I didn't want to put her in a situation where she'd have to lie."

Pepper was thoughtful a moment, wiping a speck of chocolate from the corner of her mouth and nibbling it, then delicately changed topics. "How is life at the Tower treating you so far? I don't see you very often."

"Well, you're pretty busy as I now well know," Alex smiled. "My rooms are gorgeous, and it's the shortest commute I've ever had," she added with a chuckle. "They've been keeping me really busy so far, and I'm still easing into the whole communal-living vibe the Avengers have going."

Pepper giggled, "Have you seen Steve with his shirt off yet?"

"Coming out of the pool? Oh my god, Nat told me and it's not like I didn't believe her but, wow, what eye-candy!" They both broke down into a fit of giggles.

Pepper confided, "For about a week I couldn't go into the lounge without one of them finding an excuse to take off his shirt. I finally figured it out the day I walked into the kitchen and they were ALL shirtless that they were teasing Tony, but did I ever enjoy the view while it lasted!"

Alex had to wipe away a tear she was laughing so hard. "Oh man, I missed that? Did JARVIS get footage?"

"Of course!" Pepper replied smugly as she poured more wine into their glasses. "And by the way, I _do_ accept bribes," she noted with a twinkle.

They both laughed and sipped their wine. Alex snuggled a bit deeper into the chair and draped her legs over the arm. Pepper let down her hair and scratched he scalp with a deep sigh of satisfaction.

"What do you think of Sam so far?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alex smiled into her wine, "He  _is_ rather obvious, isn't he?" Her smile faded. "I like him just fine, but, not in that way. Not yet, anyway."

Pepper rested her chin on her fist. "Getting over someone?"

Alex's smile was a bit strained. "My turn to be obvious, hm?"

Pepper gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't let them tease you too much. They're a bunch of flirts. Well, except for Bruce and Steve. Bruce is too reserved and Steve is too adorably clueless."

They both laughed and Alex relaxed again. She stared into her wine glass a moment. Then looked at Pepper carefully.

"My ex. We worked together in the CIA. He was in my analyst pod."

"What happened?"

Alex swirled the wine in her glass, watching it carefully. "He was Hydra. A sleeper agent."  Pepper gasped- she hadn't expected this.

"When he was activated," Alex cleared her throat. "Maria thinks I was a target because of Zola's algorithm. They didn't want anyone figuring out a way to stop it."

Pepper sat very still. She didn't want to ask, but it seemed important. "Did you...?"

"Kill him?" Alex sighed deeply. "Yes. I had never killed anyone before."

"Oh, Alex..."  Pepper put down her glass and squeezed Alex's shoulder. Alex put her hand over Pepper's, which rested lightly on her scar. They sat in silence for a moment until they both let go. Pepper sat back.

"So, yeah. Still recovering. The whole relationship was a lie. It's... a lot to deal with."

"So that's why you joined. The Avengers."

"Well, SHIELD at least. I wanted to help. More than just what the CIA had me doing. I wanted to fight Hydra."

Pepper hands were clenched in her lap, fingers tangled together. "I'm glad you're here."

Alex smiled, a little shaky. "I'm glad that I'm here too." They both stood awkwardly.

"Can I...?"

Alex nodded, and the two women hugged.

"Thank you, for sharing."

Alex laughed a little, wiping away her tears quickly. "Thank you for listening. It helps to talk about it, but it's not a story I can tell many people."

Pepper twisted her mouth wryly, "I can see why."

"We should both get some sleep, we have an early flight in the morning."

Pepper reached out and squeezed her hand one more time. "Good-night, Alex."

"Good-night, Pepper."


	9. One Step Forward...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce has hardly been in the last two chapters at all- let's change that, shall we?

Bruce ran a hand through his hair and glared at the StarkPad in his hands. It had  _seemed_ like a good idea at the time, but now he wasn't so sure. He paced past the door, stopped suddenly, and then turned back to stand in front of it.

Normally he would ask Tony, but as soon as Pepper returned from Hong Kong they finally left for a much-needed vacation; Bruce wouldn't dream of interrupting for something so minor. In a strange way, the manic engineer had become his best friend and Bruce could read through Tony's ravings better than almost anyone; Tony had been worried. Not just about Pepper, but about their relationship. No, Bruce would give them the space they needed and unquestionably deserved.

He sighed. Darcy would have happily done it, but she was still in London with Ian and he didn't want to interrupt that, either. Thor was back from wherever-he-was-this-time and had scooped up Jane along the way; now they were hunkered down in her apartment for some quality time, and  _everyone_ knew better than to knock on Jane's door when Thor was just back from a trip. It wasn't that Thor would be annoyed as much as he had a tendency to open the door naked. Thor had gotten better about casual nudity around the Tower, but it was still a shock to the system.

Bruce waffled a bit longer; he was going to miss the deadline if he didn't do something soon. He finally gathered his courage and raised his hand to knock, just as the door swung open.

"Hi, Bruce," Alex smiled. "Come on in!"

Bruce was frozen in the doorway, hand still raised to knock. Something that sounded suspiciously like "Buh...?" slipped out.

She caught the hesitation and looked uncertain. "JARVIS said you were here to see me?"

Bruce shot a quick dirty look at the ceiling. "Uh, yeah." He realized he was running his fingers through his hair again and quickly stopped.

"Yes, um, I was wondering, can I ask you a favor?" Alex waved him in and perched on a corner of the couch. Bruce sat at the far end, fidgeting with the StarkPad.

"Of course, I'd be glad to help." Bruce looked at her uncertainly but she looked... pleased? 

"I, uh, have an article. For a journal. Actually the AJP. I was wondering, uhm..."

"If I would look it over?" Bruce was ridiculously relieved that she came to his rescue.

"Yes. That is, if you don't mind and you're not busy, of course..."

She beamed. "I'd be honored!" and reached out for the pad. Bruce handed it over and sat back. She seemed to really mean it.

Alex did a quick scroll through the article, then stood as a kettle started to whistle in the kitchenette. "I was making a cup of tea- would you like one?"

"Oh, uh, sure, thank you." Bruce wandered over to the small table.

Alex had half-a-dozen canisters on her counter. "Pick one."

He picked up a bright orange tin with Japanese kanji in cartoony bubble letters on it. "What's this?"

Alex glanced over her shoulder as she fished a couple cups out of the cabinet. "Plum tea, it's very flavorful. Want to try some?"

"Sure, I'll give it a try." He watched attentively as she used a small scoop to deposit a heaping portion of green powder into each handle-less pottery cup. They sat at the table and Bruce took a deep breath of the sweet-smelling steam, then took a cautious sip. A slow smile spread across his face, "That's good!"

"I'm glad you like it- it's one of my favorites."

Bruce felt more comfortable now with the table between them and the feel of the warm cup in his hands. He started describing the article and the experiment it centered on, admitting it was due the next day.

Alex started skimming, asking a few questions and adding editor's marks as she went along. With her attention on the StarkPad Bruce finally took a closer look. Alex was clearly taking some time off; her hair was down, and fell in waves against her oversized brown sweater. A dark red velvet skirt fell to her ankles, and orange-striped toe socks peeked out from under the hem.

Bruce laughed out loud at the incongruity. Alex followed his eyes and grinned. "They were a gift from Darcy. She doesn't understand going barefoot when there are funky socks in the world."

"Yeah, she gave me a similar pair for my birthday. I haven't been brave enough to try them yet. Mine are green stripes."

"They're surprisingly comfortable," Alex admitted. She set down the StarkPad and took a sip of tea. "It'll take me about an hour to go through this- I can bring it by the lab when I'm done."

"Thanks, that would be great. You're sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all, I'm glad to be useful." Bruce looked carefully at her smile- it was genuine. The lines around her eyes and mouth made it clear that Alex smiled often; Bruce liked that. It had taken a while after coming to the Tower to feel like smiling again, and it still didn't always come easy. Her words slowly sank in.

"You don't have enough to do?" he teased.

"I have free room-and-board in Stark Tower, I'll do anything I can to help out."

Bruce looked around. Despite the efforts of the welcoming committee, it still felt like a high-end hotel room. There were a few battered paperbacks in a stack by the nightstand and a small laughing Buddha statuette on the dresser, but not much else that clearly belonged to Alex. Like everyone else, Alex had come to the Tower with little of her own but she was clearly living like a guest; she hadn't tried to personalize the space.

He frowned thoughtfully into his teacup. "I felt that way, too, at first. It took Tony a long time to convince me that I have a place here."

Alex looked confused. "But, you're an Avenger. You belong here."

Bruce shook his head. "I'm a risk. Tony took a chance on me. I try hard to make sure he doesn't regret it. After being on the move for so long... well, it means a lot to me. To be here."

Alex flicked an invisible piece of lint off her skirt and slowly nodded. "Same, here. I'm barely an agent. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Natasha. I don't... I don't really know what I'm doing here. With the Avengers. But I'm grateful, and I like to help." She looked up and gave Bruce a shy grin, "Thanks for asking me."

"You're doing me the favor. Thank you." Bruce had the urge to reach out and touch her hand; instead he stood up. "I'll be in the lab whenever you're done."

"Sounds good." Alex stood and walked him to the door, "See you later."

Bruce smiled and gave a small wave as he left.

***

It was closer to two hours later when Alex finally drifted down to the lab. She was scowling at the StarkPad as Bruce gestured her to come into the lab. Bruce had been busy, but was vaguely distracted and hadn't really gotten much done.

"I'm finished- I added some notes here and here," she explained, pointing to the passages in question.

"Is everything okay?"

"What?" Alex looked surprised for a moment before her brow cleared. "Oh, yes. I just had no idea you were working on this. I didn't realize I was falling so far out of the loop."

"Well, you're welcome to come by the lab anytime I'm here," Bruce was surprised to realize that he meant it.

"Thank you!" Alex then chuckled and shook her head. "Thanks again for asking me. Do you have any idea what I would have given to see this lab or any of your research when I was with the CIA?"

Bruce smiled in bemusement, "Apparently not."

"You were off the radar for a long time. Then you suddenly start publishing again but it was a complete blackout- no data gets through Stark systems before release. It's been driving the scientific community batty. Then Jane joined... do you know that her journal presence increased by nearly 40% since moving her research to the Tower? It's phenomenal."

Bruce took a moment to absorb that. It was easy to only think about life within these four walls, but there was a world out there that knew who he was and read what he wrote. It was a strange thought.

"Why did you redact this?" He pointed to two paragraphs and the accompanying footnotes that had been struck through for deletion.

Alex sobered a moment. "It might be too much information."

"What do you mean?"

Alex drummed her fingertips on the counter a moment, clearly weighing how much to say. "I can think of two other recent studies that could tie into your research. It doesn't give too much away, but if the wrong person connects too many dots...," she trailed off.

"Oh." And there it was- the negative side of people reading his research. He sighed, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He was suddenly tired. "Thank you for catching that."

"The article is solid without it, AJP will accept it no problem."

"You seem awfully confident of that." He couldn't help but hope she was right.

Alex made an indelicate noise. "I've read everything they've published in the last three years, some of it before it was printed. Trust me, this is quality work."

Bruce smiled down at the StarkPad. "Well. Thank you. That's good to hear."

Alex turned her attention to the lab, walking between workstations carefully without touching anything. Bruce watched as she stopped in front of the wall covered in children's drawings of the Hulk.

"These are wonderful!"

Bruce stood next to her. "It's something I didn't expect. I put up every one I receive. It... helps." Alex smiled but didn't reply; there really wasn't anything that needed to be said.

He looked at the wall with a fresh eye. Pictures of the Hulk smashing a building. Holding a car over his head. Fighting aliens. Even better, the ones of Hulk surrounded by flowers and hearts. Holding hands with children drawn in crayon.

"Have you..." Alex paused. "Has anyone shown these to the Hulk?"

Bruce blinked in surprise. "I... not that I know of. Maybe... maybe we can make color copies of a few." He was thoughtful. He gave Alex a quick look from the corner of his eye, but she was still facing the wall, a distant look in her eyes.

"Knock-knock!" They turned to find Jane leaning in the doorway with Thor standing behind her. "Where is everyone?"

"Seems like they're all out tonight," Bruce volunteered. Alex walked over and the two women hugged; they had clearly bonded in Geneva.

"I have a great hunger and Jane and I were about to seek sustenance. Do you wish to join us?"

"I was thinking of taking Thor to the new Ethiopian place that opened down the block. He likes lamb, and they have a good vegetarian menu, too," Jane mentioned, giving Bruce a hopeful look.

"I am told it is customary to forgo utensils and eat with one's hands- I am most eager to try this experience!" Bruce couldn't help but laugh. Being around Thor was sometimes like living with a huge, blonde puppy.

Alex laughed as well. "I've never had Ethiopian food before."

"It's very good," Bruce supplied.

"So you'll both come?" Jane was almost begging.

"Well..." Bruce hesitated. He didn't leave the Tower very often, but Thor would be there in case anything... happened. He nodded. "Sure, I'll come."

Alex nodded as well. "Sure! Thanks for asking me. Let me just go grab my bag. Meet you in the lobby?"

"Yay! I'm _starving_ ," Jane explained.

***

Dusk was falling outside and the weather was cool enough that Bruce was glad he'd grabbed a tweed jacket. He'd also quickly run a comb through his hair; they were going to a nice restaurant, after all. Alex came back with a grey messenger bag slung over her shoulder and had twisted her hair up into a bun.

The four chatted as they walked down the block. Thor loved New York and frequently went exploring on his own, happily chatting in All-Speak with anyone who gave him half a chance. Thor and Jane held hands, taking turns pointing out the sights to each other. At the corner was a cart with a colorful awning that drew Thor's attention; he'd quickly learned about food carts and hadn't tried anything yet that he didn't find tasty.

"Is this- _ice cream_?" Thor's face lit up like a child at Christmas. Thor's love of ice cream was truly impressive.

"Oh no you don't." Jane wagged her finger at the eager Asgardian. "It's gelato and you're not having any until after dinner. Now come on." She pulled his hand and Thor sadly followed, looking longingly over his shoulder. Bruce was sure it was at least partially an act- Jane would never be able to drag Thor without his cooperation; he was just too massive.

They could smell spices on the air even before they reached the restaurant. It was early enough that they were seated right away. Their waiter was originally from Nekemte and was so delighted when Thor asked him a question in Kwama that he pulled the cook out from the kitchen, who turned out to not only be his brother but the owner of the restaurant as well.

After that they were the darlings of the staff. The owner kept sending around things so they could "just try a taste" and presented a complimentary bottle of honey wine to the table. They all had some, and Thor declared it nearly as fine as Asgardian mead (although not nearly as potent). Bruce and Alex also had the hot clove tea, which was soothing, and Bruce was thrilled by the variety of vegetarian options. By the time they finished dinner they were stuffed; even Thor admitted he was "pleasantly filled". The owner came back and tried to talk them into dessert, but Thor was still hoping for gelato.

When they tried to settle the bill Jane had to protest. "It's not enough! We ate so much, we should pay more than this!" The owner and his brother explained it was their pleasure and Thor was willing to accept; Asgardian custom dictated that it was rude to refuse hospitality. Jane was adamant in leaving a huge tip, which generated more argument.

Alex had an idea. "Do you have a camera? For pictures?" she asked, pointing to a signed picture of the owner with Tom Hanks, who apparently had been in town. One of the staff nodded and went to find it.

By the time they were done, the restaurant had a signed picture of Thor beaming from behind the remains of their enormous meal, and everyone was pleased with the outcome.

They walked slowly back to the Tower, digesting the meal. Thor nearly started skipping when he saw that the gelato cart was still there. When he learned that there were eight different flavors he had to try them all. He finally settled on lemon while Jane chose chocolate mint. Alex had peach, and Bruce had the green tea. However, Thor's face fell when he realized that the paper cups and tiny plastic spoons were the largest size available.

"Is there no larger container?" He asked, hopefully.

"You know what, here. I'm almost out for the night anyway." The cart owner lifted the almost-empty tub of lemon and handed it to Thor. "I know who youse are," he explained, nodding to the Tower. Jane insisted on paying for it and he accepted graciously.

Thor had another conundrum, however. Jane gave him a stern look. "You may NOT eat gelato with your hands." He immediately looked guilty.

"Here, try this," Alex offered as she fished something out of her bag. She handed Thor a shiny silver utensil.

Thor was awed. "What is this thing?" he asked cautiously.

"It's called a spork. It's both a spoon and fork. Just wash it and return it when you're done." She explained to Jane, "It's titanium so it'll hold up a lot better than a plastic spoon will."

Bruce was curious, "You carry around a spork?"

Alex shrugged a shoulder and looked a little embarrassed. "I hate using plastic utensils, it's a waste."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully, "That's not a bad idea."

They walked back to the Tower, Thor happily digging in to the gelato.


	10. Mission One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos! <3

Sam was not pleased when he heard about the excursion the next day.

"I blame you." He pointed at Steve, giving his best no-nonsense face.

Steve grinned as he tossed the salad. "I'm sorry that the lead didn't pan out. I'll take you for Ethiopian food tomorrow night if you like."

"Hey! Hey. You know that's not what I meant," but Sam couldn't hold back his smile; it was good to see Steve relaxed enough to tease. The search for Barnes was wearing them both down. Steve had never actually asked for help, but there was no question that Sam would have his back, no matter what.

"I'm just saying, there is exactly one unattached female associated with this team and I am having ZERO luck. Like, ZERO."

"I thought you two go running a couple times a week?" Steve began fishing an armload of salad dressing bottles out of the fridge.

"Yeah. We run in the park. Sometimes we walk and talk. I got her to stop for a pretzel once. But otherwise? No traction. I'm losing my touch, man."

"I wouldn't take it personally, Sam. She's still getting to know us. I didn't have a real conversation with her until we went to that show at MOMA."

"What?!" Sam threw his arms up in the air. "You, too? You went to a museum together? How did I not know this!"

Clint was trying not to laugh too hard as he took the breaded pork chops out of the oven.

"And you," Sam pointed at the archer, "have been _no help_."

Clint transferred the chops onto a platter. "I told you, I met her exactly twice before. If you want the scoop you have to ask Tasha." Clint paused for a sec but he couldn't resist getting a dig in; "I do know that she likes farmer's markets."

"Oh?" Sam perked up. "How do you know... wait a minute!"

Clint gave him a saucy grin. "Where do you think I got that almond butter you've been raving about all week?"

Sam had an entire silent conversation using facial expressions and gestures before he finally gave in to laughter. "Hopeless. It's hopeless."

"What's hopeless?" Bruce wandered into the kitchen with Natasha close behind him. Steve pointed to the angel-hair pasta and vegetables and Bruce made a pleased noise. Nat sat on a counter out of the way.

"Sam's losing his mojo," Clint volunteered.

"Aw, poor Sam," purred Nat.

"Hey- don't you start, too. She's _your_ friend, the least you could do is throw me a bone. What does Alex like to do?"

By this time, dinner was ready and they sat at the table. Nat carefully considered the least-useful answer she could give. "Well, she likes to read."

Sam looked at her a moment, making a "hurry-up" motion with his hand. " _And...?_   What does she like to read?" Nat gave him a big smile and popped a forkful of salad in her mouth, chewing slowly with obvious relish. Sam muttered something that sounded like, "...gonna be the death of me, woman..."

"Sci-fi. Well, and fantasy. Detective fiction." The table paused and everyone turned to look at Bruce. "That's what she's reading right now, anyway." Suddenly embarrassed by the attention he sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on his pasta and quickly started chewing. Nat raised an eyebrow.

"See? This is _exactly_ what I mean," said Sam with an exasperated gesture. 

Trying to shift the topic, Steve asked "Where is Alex tonight anyway? The board just says 'on assignment'."

Natasha was suddenly very still. Across the table, Clint's fork stopped halfway to his mouth and he gave her a look. Nat put down her fork. "Tash, hey, you knew she'd have her first mission soon."

Steve looked quickly between the two. "Is there something I need to know?"

Nat smoothly stood, placing her napkin on the table. "Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me," she said firmly, then turned and left the room. Clint cursed under his breath.

Sam realized he'd been holding his breath and softly let it out. "What just happened?"

Bruce, Clint, and Steve exchanged a look. Bruce picked at his plate a moment. "I haven't seen her so angry since she found out that Fury lied about Coulson."

Steve sighed and rubbed his hand across his face, then firmly pushed his plate away. "Alright Clint, I need to know what's going on, _now_." He was using the "Captain" voice; anything affected his team and Steve snapped right into command-mode.

Clint sighed. "Nat wanted to be backup on Alex's first field op. Looks like Hill ignored the request."

Steve frowned. "I'm sure Alex has backup, and Maria won't send her into something she's not ready for."

Sam poked at his meal. "She's real protective of Alex, huh?"

Steve stood up. "I'll go talk to them. I'll be..."

"Sirs? Director Hill requests your presence in Meeting Room B, immediately."

Steve's head snapped up. "What's going on JARVIS?"

"I don't have any other information, Captain Rogers, only that it is urgent." JARVIS sounded regretful. "I have notified Agent Romanov and she is already en route."

"Right. Let's go." Clint was already halfway to the door with Sam and Bruce just behind him.

***

Natasha and Hill had clearly been arguing. Natasha stood on one side of the conference table, leaning on her hands and glaring; Maria stood across from her, arms crossed and fuming. Natasha pushed back abruptly as the rest of the team filed in and sat around the table.

"What's the word, Director?" Steve demanded, looking back and forth between the two women.

Maria quickly passed out briefs. "We've been tracking a suspected Hydra cell in Queens. We had a man on site. Twenty-four hours ago he fell out of contact."

Steve looked at the file. "Brunson?"

"One of the new guys," Clint supplied.

"When he missed his third consecutive check-in we sent someone to the designated dead-drop. The agent reported an aborted message and heightened activity around the site."

"You think he was made." There was no question in Steve's voice.

"Yes. They know we're on to them and they've stepped up the timetable- whatever it may be." Maria's lips twisted in frustration.

Clint looked at Natasha a moment, then turned back to Hill. "This is the same location you had us scout a few weeks ago."

"And Alex is there now." Natasha's tone was cold and clipped. Bruce started a little.

Hill paused. "Yes. We've got agents on the ground, but there's more activity than we can account for- the factory just isn't large enough."

Clint cursed softly. "We missed something."

Sam frowned. "They barely waited until nightfall. They're not really trying to hide anymore, are they?"

"She's still there because you need eyes and you can't extract without giving away her location, can you?" Natasha's voice was cold; she had no doubt that her assessment was correct. Maria's muscles tightened, ready to lash back.

"Director Hill, I have the data Agent Harrow requested."

Maria took a deep breath. "Thank you, JARVIS." She looked at her StarkPad, then frowned.

"Dr. Banner, do you make anything of this?" She slid the pad over to Bruce. He put on his glasses and Steve craned over his shoulder.

"This... I'm not sure what some of this is used for." Bruce blew out a breath. "But these components... they're more along Tony's line. It doesn't look good, though."

"Hardware?" Steve asked. "Electronics? What is this?"

"Agent Harrow asked that I identify deliveries to the shell companies that front for the factory in question. Some of these invoices appear to be patently false, but I do agree that if certain of these materials are legitimate then they can be combined in a number of military applications." JARVIS sounded concerned. "Should I notify Sir?"

Hill frowned a moment and shared a look with Steve. He gave his head a slight shake, "We can handle this with the team here. We'll call in the others if things get ugly."

Hill gave a short nod. "It's your call, Captain. Everyone suit up. Wheels up in five."

"Did you tell her?" Natasha words were clipped, still furious. 

Hill's eyes narrowed. "She volunteered..."

"Did. You. Tell. Her."

"She knew the mission parameters, that we suspected..."

"Dammit, Maria." Nat slammed her palm on desk; Bruce flinched. "You knew, you _knew_ she wouldn't say 'no' if it was Hydra."

"Enough." Steve's tone was firm, but placating. "We're going to her now. Let's move." He gave Natasha a long look that she returned, defiantly, then softened with a short nod and was the first out the door. Steve looked at Hill, "We'll discuss this later." Maria wasn't happy, but she nodded; they had work to do.


	11. On the Rooftop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Updating tags for action-type-violence; I'm still sorting out the tag thing, so if you have any suggestions or recommendations, please let me know!

Alex cursed softly under her breath. She was on top of an office building with a good view of the factory lot. That was the good news.

After reporting in she'd worked her way around the site, collecting intel. Clint had told her over and over that most people didn't look up, so she went for the high ground. The building was mostly empty so she'd gone straight for the roof and and started counting heads, identifying guards and rotations.

The problem was, now she was stuck.

Less than an hour after she was in position there was suddenly a flurry of activity around the loading docks; it was like someone had kicked over an anthill. The armed guards at the chain-link gate waved in a line of six trucks. They backed up to the docks so she couldn't see much, but when the loading doors opened she could see piles of machinery in the warehouse and a swarm of guards.

She snorted. Yeah, they were Hydra; they had the stupid red logo sprayed on everything. She took a few zooms and sent them to Hill. They had their confirmation.

Right about then she noticed movement on the street and in the buildings on either side. She carefully watched a man with distinctive light-colored hair talking on a cell phone, watching the activity out the window. He stepped inside.

Less than five minutes later he stepped out onto the loading dock of the building next door.

This time Alex swore a lot louder. She could be wrong, but her gut feeling told her she was right- the buildings connected. She quickly scrolled through the manifests JARVIS had provided and found what she was looking for, almost six months old: demolition and construction equipment.

She radioed it in, pushing up her estimates. Hill let her know they were on the way and to sit tight.

She really didn't have much of a choice.

Alex expanded her monitoring range and ID'd a sniper in a window adjacent to her building a few floors down overlooking the street; whether they were SHIELD or Hydra she didn't know. It suddenly dawned on her that there were probably placements in the building beneath her as well. Her throat went dry; she might have been lucky enough to get up here unnoticed, but she probably wouldn't be able to get out the same way. A few minutes later she panned back and the sniper was gone. She zoomed in with her field glasses... there was a leg at an odd angle, barely visible through the corner window. It wasn't moving.

Alex felt sick.

Almost ten minutes later she was watching a guard on the roof across to her left when he went down and didn't come back up. Natasha maybe? She suddenly felt better; she wasn't alone out here, but she sure as hell wasn't moving, either.

It was fully dark but the loading docks were brightly lit; it looked like they were loading everything onto the trucks as fast as they could move. She had the front plate numbers but was sure they weren't legit. At least it would help with tracking, at least until they had a chance to swap plates.

That's when she felt the gun barrel behind her right ear.

_Oh fuck._

***

Hill flew the transport, Natasha in the co-pilot seat. They weren't speaking at the moment, but the silent argument drowned out almost everything else. Sam went through his pre-flight checklist, muttering each stage under his breath like a mantra. Steve and Clint were going over the area, a warren of factories and warehouses, trying to determine the best lines of sight. Bruce tried to glean more information from the list provided by JARVIS but he felt useless; The Other Guy was backup in case things went south and he had a bad feeling that it was going to be one of those ops. He'd made sure to wear a t-shirt he didn't care about.

Maria suddenly stiffened, her hands tightening on the controls. "What?! Repeat that, Agent!" She snapped a look over her shoulder and Steve was at her side instantly. "What is it?" 

Maria tapped her comm and Alex's voice was projected through the carrier, "...I repeat, Barnes is on site, _do not engage_..."

Steve hissed under his breath as Sam squeezed Cap's shoulder. Nat didn't react, staring ahead through the windshield as if they could get there faster through the sheer force of her will. Clint glanced at Bruce, who was looking a little green.

"What's your status?" Hill snapped.

Alex confirmed her previous location, talking as quickly as she could. "Barnes is a friendly, Hydra is moving equipment, if Barnes' intel is right we need to stop them here. He's acting now..."

"What? What are you..."

A fireball suddenly bloomed ahead of them.

"Target the trucks and the equipment on the docks!" Alex sounded frantic.

"Right..." Hill flew low over the buildings as the back hatch opened; Sam was out in a flash, wings expanding. A moment later Clint dropped and rolled onto a rooftop, picking off lone targets. Hill dipped to street level as Cap and Nat leaped out the doors, flanking the gate to the dock, opening fire on the disorganized troops. Bruce clung to the back of Hill's seat as the transport lifted and turned, targeting the trucks; a stream of bullets began stitching down the row, destroying the engines. A host of small-arms fire targeted them but did little damage.

Suddenly, the back of one of the trucks burst as a flaming round arced towards them. Hill pulled up sharply, "They have surface-to-air!"

"Roger that, fall back. There's something coming out of the trucks." Steve ordered. Hill pulled back and circled out of range of the SAMs.

Clint cursed. "They have mechs! I repeat, they have mechs! They... _whoa_!"

Cap flung his shield, ricocheting off the mech that shot at the transport. A burst of sparks cascaded off its shoulder and it turned towards the Avenger. At that moment a blur of black and silver raced along the loading dock. A metal arm reached into the back of the unit and yanked out a fistful of wires and the mech began to shudder, a grinding noise making it clear that something vital was out of commission.

Natasha leapt onto the back of the second mech, slapping a Bite onto it as she launched herself back. Bright blue electricity crawled over the chassis for a moment and it stilled. "Where's Thor when you need him?" someone muttered over the comm.

The guards were firing on them, but Sam provided a good distraction, picking a few off from the air and easily dodging anything aimed his way. Clint sprinted along the rooftops to get in a better position; as a third mech started to step onto the loading dock, he shot an explosive arrowhead into the thing's foot. The explosion blew it off-balance and it toppled off the dock onto the ground between two trucks where it appeared to be stuck on its back; apparently once down they weren't able to get back up again. "That must be embarrassing," Clint chuckled.

There was a sudden _crack!_  and one of the guards on the dock went down. Steve glanced over his shoulder- the shot seemed to come from the rooftop across the way. His attention was drawn back to the trucks as the last three mechs all started firing simultaneously.

Sam swooped down and fired a line that latched onto the body of the furthest mech and quickly looped it, circling twice. In a practiced maneuver, he tossed the other end to Cap, who braced his feet and pulled. The mech teetered and then righted itself. Steve threw the shield, striking low on its "leg" and then gave a massive heave. This time the mech toppled, but kept firing wildly.

A huge roar let the team know that the Hulk was in play. A wall of green charged into the trucks, ripping fistfuls of metal out and flinging them at scattering guards. He crouched and tackled one of the remaining mechs and they vanished into the depths of the factory. 

By this time, anyone left outside was trying to run for it. Clint and Natasha took turns making sure no other vehicles left the area, and SHIELD agents on the ground grabbed the strays. Cap made a run for the remaining mech, just as Barnes made a flying leap and yanked the operator out of his harness. The mech immediately stilled and Cap had to choke back as cry as Barnes looked at him for an instant and then threw the injured goon at him and sprinted away. 

"Cap! A little help here?" Natasha called; she was trying to disable the still stuck and flailing mech under the trucks. Steve slammed the edge of the shield into one of the large guns and it shattered. At that point, the operator surrendered.

The inside of the factory echoed with roars and the sound of structural damage as the pop of small arms fire dwindled. Natasha ducked inside and a few minutes later Bruce staggered out, pulling on a pair of Hydra pants he'd taken from someone who wouldn't need them anymore.

Cap yelled into the comm, "Sam! Are you tracking him?"

"No can do- we've got to sweep the buildings on either side, they're hunkering down in there." Steve ground his teeth together; there was nothing for it. "Right, let's dig them out."

By the time they were done there were nearly 40 dead. Hill directed cleanup and identifying as many from their wanted lists as possible. There were few survivors; not many Hydra agents were willing to be taken alive.

In one of the offices they found what was left of the missing SHIELD agent, and Natasha started hunting for any intel she could gather. The local police had set up a cordon around the site as Hill argued with the chief of police over procedure.

Alex trotted across the street and Cap clapped a hand on her shoulder, staring at the Harris M-96 under her arm. "Where did that come from?"

"Barnes left it with me. We need to debrief- where is he?"

"Gone." Steve clenched his jaw a moment, then sighed, running a hand over his face. "I can't believe he was this close all along."

Alex frowned, "I'm not sure he was."

Sam came in for a landing next to them. "Clint saw him heading northwest- he probably has a vehicle by now." The rest of the team drifted over and did a quick check for injuries. Bruce sat on the end of the dock and Alex walked over, offering him a protein bar from the stash in her jacket. He nodded thanks and wolfed it down.

Hill strode over. "Okay, we have the survivors in custody for questioning and our teams are doing a final sweep. We'll reconvene at the Tower and debrief in one hour." She looked around the group as they nodded tiredly. Her gaze rested on Alex a moment. "Good work, Harrow." She nodded once, then turned and strode back to the transport, the rest of the Avengers trailing behind her.

Nat gave Alex a look. "I'm okay." Nat nodded and her shoulders slightly relaxed.

Nat raised an eyebrow at the rifle. "How many?"

"Three." Nat nodded again and squeezed Alex's arm as they turned and trudged after the rest of the group.


	12. Wrap-up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't planned on this being a two-parter, but I found a natural break point. I originally thought the whole thing would be twelve chapters, so it looks like it will be easily twice that. In part two there will be crushes, and angst, and Bad Decisions. Yay!

An hour later they filed back into Meeting Room B. Bruce had crawled straight into bed; it was easier when he was the one who chose to let out the Hulk, but it still took him a few hours to recover. The Hulk wouldn't have been too helpful in a debrief anyway, so any mission that involved Bruce in fight-mode guaranteed him a get-out-of-meetings-free card.

Maria summarized what they'd learned so far: "As near as we can tell from preliminary reports, they've been on-site at least two years. The core group was trying to replicate the Iron Man armor but with an alternate power source. However, in the last few weeks they were collecting stragglers from other cells." She gave Steve a pointed look. "It seems Barnes has been systematically destroying every Hydra hideout and safe house he can find."

The look of hope of Steve's face was almost too painful to look at.

"He's turned on them? For good? That's great! That's... we can..."

Nat leaned forward and rested a hand on his arm a moment. "Wait, Steve. He may be fighting them, but he's not with us yet."

Steve's face hardened and he turned to Alex. "You said he talked to you, what did he say?"

Alex let out a breath. "Not much, really. I didn't even know he was there until he shoved the barrel of that damn rifle in my ear." She looked embarrassed but there were only understanding looks from the Avengers; Barnes could sneak up on just about any one of them if he wanted to.

"Barnes asked, 'Are you with _him_?' and I thought he might as well shoot me because I had no idea what he was talking about. Then he gestured and I realized he meant the dead sniper in the next building. I asked if the guy was SHIELD or Hydra. He had an odd look but he answered 'Hydra', so I explained, no, I wasn't with him."

She let out a long breath.

"Then he asked me a second time if I was with ' _Him_ ' and I could tell he was asking something different but still had no clue what was going on." Alex let out a small snort and Maria raised her eyebrows. "Uh, I must have given him a look, because he said 'The one with the shield'."

Steve made a small noise that everyone pretended not to hear.

"I said yes, and then he asked if 'He' was coming." She looked at Hill a moment. "I made a judgement call and told him yes." Maria nodded once. That could have gone very, very badly and they both knew it. There would be a closed-door meeting later, but Alex could live with that.

"Then he asked if I could shoot and pointed to the rifle. I must have given him another look, because he put it on the ground and told me he'd swept our side of the street and it was clear. The last thing he said was 'Four minutes, starting now,' and then took off."

She turned and gave Nat a wide-eyed look. "He went _right over the side_ and jumped to a lower roof. That's when I called him in."

Hill let out a sigh. "Right. And you tracked his movements?"

"Yes, until I lost sight of him during mop-up. I already gave the info to the tracking team."

Hill nodded. They spent a little longer going around the table but there wasn't much more to add, until they finished going through files recovered on-site. After disabling any traps they'd hauled the most intact mech to Tony's lab for him to take apart when he got back. The meeting broke down into side conversations, with Sam trying to convince Steve to wait for the tracking teams to give them a lead before rushing off. The group was dismissed and they broke up, mostly heading to their rooms for shower and bed.

***

Things quickly settled back into routine. Bucky had completely disappeared, and the intel gathered from the factory led to one destroyed Hydra location after another. Maria and Natasha appeared to have worked things out and were back to their usual inscrutable selves. Darcy was back from London griping that Jane wasn't eating properly and that she wouldn't see Ian until he came to visit at the holidays. 

It was a week later when there was a light knock on Alex's door; Bruce stood there with an uncertain smile on his face, holding a dark green plant with glossy leaves in a red ceramic pot.

"Hi. Uh, may I come in?"

"Hi! Yeah, sure, of course," she said, waving him in. He stood awkwardly a moment, then held the plant out to her.

"This is for you. To thank you. They accepted my paper. It'll be published next month."

"Oh! Thank you! You're very welcome." Alex held the pot for a moment, smiling down at the plant. She looked around the room a moment, then placed it next to the Buddha statuette. "Perfect!"

"It's a succulent, just needs to be watered once a week." Bruce went to push up his glasses and realized he didn't have them on, then didn't know what to do with his hands. "I thought it might, well, make things feel a little more like... home. Y'know."

"It does; thank you." Alex didn't seem to know what to do with her hands either. "Would you like to sit down?"

"No, no thanks, just stopping by. I was just, wondering... do you still. You know. Feel like you don't fit in?"

Alex was quiet for a moment. "Sort of. It's, not how I imagined things would be. Different. But good." She gave a slow smile. "It's good."

He smiled back. "I'm glad. I'll get you a copy of the journal when it comes out."

"Thanks, I'd like that."

He moved toward the door. "I'll see you later. Will you be up for dinner?"

"Yeah, yeah I will." They smiled at each other as Bruce stepped out the door. Alex walked back into her room and perched on the couch, looking at the little plant for a long moment. Picking up her phone she texted Darcy; "Want to go to Ikea?"


End file.
